"Who is she?" Chisom's voice sounded in the dark room, and a feeling of fear crawled up to their chests like a chilling spider. "Who had seen the bride?" The tiny voice echoed in the dark room, sending shivers down their spines.
"I knew something was wrong with this house the moment we walked in," Judy said in a terrified tone, her voice trembling with fear.
"We need to find Michael; he could be in danger," Nina sobbed, afraid that whatever horror had killed Otitochukwu might have gotten to him too.
"Good luck finding your fiancée," Vicky snapped, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I'm leaving." She said, flashing her torchlight towards the light switches, as if daring the darkness to consume them.
"God, I'm scared," Sonia shuddered, running her hands down her neck, her eyes wide with fear.
Soon, the lights returned to the house with a disturbing buzzing sound, and the air smelled rotten with a choking odor, like something had died in the walls.
"Are we leaving Michael alone to be killed by whatever killed Otitochukwu?" Nina cried, staring at their unconcerned faces, her voice laced with desperation.
"Go save him then, if you're so concerned about him," Judy screamed in frustration, her voice echoing off the walls.
"Ju...dy," Esther said in a correctional tone, but Judy just rolled her eyes.
"I'm leaving with Vicky," Tonia stuttered, avoiding Nina's questioning stare.
"What do we do with the body?" Kevin asked, his voice laced with a sense of unease, and silence descended upon the air-tight room like a suffocating blanket.
"Who cares? I'm leaving," Vicky stated, walking towards the exit, followed by Tonia, who seemed eager to escape the horror unfolding around them.
*. *. *.
Jayjay and the boys watched as the females packed their belongings, their faces etched with fear and anxiety. Nina, in particular, looked like she would suffocate with tears, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Otitochukwu's body was covered with beddings and hidden under the bed, a grim reminder of the horror they had witnessed.
Their suitcases were all packed, and they were eager to leave the murder scene behind. The atmosphere gave off a sickening and gloomy feeling, as each of them feared for their lives, not knowing that it was just the tip of what was coming.
"I will find Michael, but I need you all to wait in the bus outside," Kevin ordered, giving Nina a glimmer of hope that she would find Michael alive. Everyone left for the bus, except Kevin, Michael's self-proclaimed savior, and Nina, who wailed silently on the dusty rug.
To Nina, the world had ended, and while Kevin was only concerned about the tons of favors saving Michael would fetch him. "Thank you for doing this," Nina said with a soft sniffle, before joining the others.
The hallway was dark, but was illuminated with the light from their cellphones, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The floor pads were soft and soggy, like they were going to sink if pressure was applied. Cobwebs were the only interior decorations on the walls and ceilings, giving it a haunting look.
Nina walked steadily behind the others as they made their way to the living room. They were all scared, realizing that everything about the house had changed. The steps were round and complicated, the windows were large and had strong rustling iron bars, which gave it a prison-like look.
Worried that they hadn't heard or seen Tonia and Vicky, Nina's anxiety piqued. "I was just thinking about Tonia and Vicky," Judy asked, as they approached the stairs.
"I haven't heard or seen them," Esther added, combing through her hair with her manicured hands.
"They might be around," Chisom said, trying to reassure them.
They walked down the creaky staircase to the living room, which was dark and cold, as the windows and doors were shut. Jayjay flashed his torchlight around the living room, picking up a few of their remaining belongings. Everyone was cold and scared, fearing the worst might be lurking around the mansion.
Murky liquid dropped down the ceilings, but they merely cared about it as they were all focused on the thought of leaving the house. Tap, tap, tap. Warm liquid dropped down the tiled floor, almost rushing down. They were surprised, knowing the ceilings weren't leaking or cracked, and it was, of course, harmattan season.
"Ewww!! The ceilings are leaking too!" Esther complained, brushing off the fluid that dropped on her forehead.
"Nothing in this house surprises me anymore," Frank replied with a scoff, flashing his torchlight on the weird artworks on the wall.
"Guys...!" Nina alerted, staring at the big droopy old chandelier.
"Oh my God!!!!" Judy exclaimed, her hands cupped over her mouth in horror, as the mutilated, bloodied bodies of Tonia and Vicky dangled in the chandelier.
"Shit, what's happening to everybody?" Jayjay whined in frustration, unable to understand why everybody was turning up dead.
"I wish I didn't come," Sonia cried, at the gruesome sight.
"When we find Michael, he is going to explain why he brought us to this dead house," Chisom ranted, with a hardened expression.
Tonia's eyes stuck out from their sockets, and her belly was punctured, revealing her intestines, which dangled freely in the air. The body of Vicky, the other female, was unrecognizable, like she was attacked by a wild animal.
"It's all my fault," Nina sobbed, backing slowly away from the chandelier.
"It's not your fault, you don't have to blame yourself," Sonia squealed, trying to comfort her.
"I swear, Michael knows something about this," she shrieked, stroking Nina's shoulders gently.
"Who has seen the bride?" The little girl's voice sounded from the stairs.
They turned sharply, only to meet a teenage girl who looked dead, just like the little girl. She wore a short, dirty Jean skirt, a flowery tank top, and a pair of reading glasses. She stared her pitch-black eyes at them, turning her head to each of them with a soured look on her face and a blood-dripping knife at her hand.
"Run!" Jayjay screamed, as the girl held up the knife above her head. They all ran towards the exit door, pushing it with all their strength to escape. However, their hope was short-lived, as they realized that the door was locked, and the keyhole was gone.
"Grrrh grrrrh!" The girl growled fiercely, swinging the knife in the air, as the adults threw things at her. Soon, the girl was gone, and they were left wondering if she had disappeared, for they didn't see her leave. The living room was quiet again, though the dead bodies still hung dead in the brightly lit chandelier.
Everything was wrong with the house. The keyhole was gone, the strange murderous teenage girl haunted them, and the little girl lurked around the house. They were all certainly sure of one thing - there was no escape from the mansion.
"I've heard stories, and I didn't believe it," Nina muttered under her breath, staring hard at the shit door's knob.
"I didn't believe houses could be haunted too," Judy quipped in.
"Not that," Nina replied, with a guilty look on her face. "I heard stories about a dead house in Ógozi, but I never thought it would be here."
"What do you mean by a dead house?" Frank asked.
Nina bit her upper lip and let out an exasperating sigh. "A haunted house," she said, with a wry smile.
"Oh God," Jayjay fretted, stroking his beardless jaw.
"Iya told me about a haunted house in Ogozi," Nina said, rising upright in the furniture. "She didn't tell me much, but she said the real owners of the house died mysteriously, and rumors said inhumane people are seen moving around its yard in the dark."
"And you think it could be this house?" Chisom asked, with a petrified look on her face.
"You mean the same house your fiancé brought us to for the wedding, only to disappear after one of us died?" Frank said, in a loud volume.
"I don't know," Nina squealed innocently, blaming herself for the gruesome happenings.
"Nina... leave now," Nina heard a soft voice whisper into her ear.
"Guys, did you hear that?" Nina asked, but gets disappointed at their responses.
The voice seemed to come from nowhere, and everywhere, at the same time. It was a gentle whisper, but it sent shivers down Nina's spine. She knew she had to get out of there, but how? The door was locked, and the keyhole was gone. They were trapped, and the house seemed to be playing a sinister game with them.
"They are coming for you... leave," the soft, feminine voice whispered again into her ears, scaring her, but she didn't want to pay attention. It was only her head saying things, she told herself. But the voice seemed so real, so urgent.
The light bulbs flickered with a buzzing sound, and the lights turned off, leaving the room in pitch darkness. The sudden blackout made Nina's heart skip a beat. She froze, her senses on high alert.
Within seconds, the lights turned on, and the buzzing sound was gone. The sudden return of light made her blink.
"Guys," Judy said, her voice trembling, pointing to the dark shadow cast at the end of the living room.
"Run, she's back!" Judy screamed on top of her lungs, her eyes wide with fear.
Nina turned to see what Judy was pointing at, and her blood ran cold. The teenage girl with the knife was standing at the end of the room, her eyes fixed on them with a malevolent glare.
The girl didn't move, but her presence seemed to fill the room with an unspeakable horror. Nina felt her legs turn to jelly, and her mind went blank with fear.
"Run!" Jayjay yelled, grabbing Nina's arm and pulling her towards the door.
But it was too late. The girl began to move towards them, her knife glinting in the light.
Nina's heart was racing, and her breath came in short gasps. She knew they had to get out of there, but her legs wouldn't move.
The girl kept coming, her eyes fixed on them with a deadly intent.
And then, everything went black.